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Search on after child's death in Valley Springs

TV station: Girl killed by intruder

A manhunt in Valley Springs led to a shelter-in-place order after the death of a 8-year-old child Saturday.

Multiple law enforcement agencies combed the area Saturday afternoon for a man believed to be armed and dangerous, described as a white or Latino male, with long gray hair, 6 feet tall, muscular build, last seen wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and blue pants.

Details were scarce, but television station KCRA in Sacramento reported that a 12-year-old boy encountered an intruder in his home. The man ran away and the boy went to check on his sister and found her with stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital, the station reported.

Residents in the area were advised via Reverse 911 and other mass notification systems to lock their doors and report suspicious activity to the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office. Investigators ask anyone who sees someone in the area matching the man's description to call 911 immediately.

The Calaveras County sheriff and district attorney's office were investigating the child's death at a residence on Rippon Road in Valley Springs. No further information was available.

The sheriff's department originally issued an alert at 2:08 p.m., warning of a "wanted suspect in the area." The agency announced the homicide just after 4 p.m. A sheriff's dispatcher said no one had been apprehended as of 4:30 p.m. Authorities indicated an update would be available later Saturday evening, but that was not the case.

Valley Springs is a foothills community of about 3,500 people. It sits about 25 miles east of Lodi, at the intersection of Highways 12 and 29, near New Hogan Lake and the Acorn Recreation Area.

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